Those who are advocating for Kosovo’s independence must count on Bosnia’s Serb-majority region of Republika Srpska (RS) wanting the same thing, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik told the Srna news agency on Monday.

Dodik, who is the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency and the leader of the ruling party in the RS semi-autonomous entity, made the comment after a statement by former Kosovo Foreign Affairs Minister Behdjet Pacolli, who told Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic that he has no alternative than to recognise Kosovo’s independence.

Republika Srpska fully stands behind Serbia and its stance toward Kosovo, Dodik said, adding that the association of municipalities with a Serb majority in Kosovo must participate in finding a solution for the problem between Belgrade and Pristina.

“Kosovo is not only what the Albanians think it is,” he said, adding that an association of Serb municipalities must be set up according to an agreement reached previously in Brussels.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will not grant Kosovo recognition because of the stance of Republika Srpska, he said.

“Of course Bosnia has not recognised Kosovo, nor does it have the intention to, as Republika Srpska does not want any double-standards here,” he stressed.